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World Health Organization Classifies “Gaming Addiction” As A Disorder

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 8:38 pm
by penix
http://www.kdlt.com/2018/01/26/world-he ... -disorder/

World Health Organization Classifies “Gaming Addiction” As A Disorder

January 26, 2018
David Kline

Sioux Falls, S.D.- With an international organization bringing headlines to the gaming world, it appears too many people are becoming addicted to video games.

The World Health Organization now classifies Video Game Addiction as a Disorder.

“You can’t just say, ‘Well, I can control it, I can do that.’ Because if it’s truly an addiction, that’s the definition, you can’t control it,” says Sanford Integrated Health Therapist Karla Harmon.

In the 11th edition of the International Classification Of Diseases, “Gaming Addiction” will be a newly listed disorder.

Some countries have been dealing with it as a major health issue in the public.

In today’s world with the substantial growth in gaming and E-Sports, the professionals use video games as their main source of income.

At some colleges, like the University of California Irvine, an E-Sports arena was built and the school sanctions E-Sports as a varsity sport.

For the non-professional players, gaming enthusiasts say there are many beneficial aspects of playing video games.

“Anger or stress can be diffused when you play video games. Some of those strategy games, they force you to use limited resources, so you have to manage your resources on those as well,” says Galaxy Gaming Manager Max Kaftanati.

Other countries are installing methods to combat the possibility of their people suffering from Gaming Addiction.

In South Korea, a law is proposed that would ban children under 16 years old from playing video games from midnight to 6 a.m.

From a parental standpoint, Harmon says there are methods to control a child’s affinity for video games.

“You spend x amount of time with family or you go to church with us. If those things are being done, then you don’t have to worry about limiting gaming times because you’re actually telling your child what to do vs of what not to do,” says Harmon.

Unsurprisingly, a study from the University of Oxford showed that boys from the age of 8 to 18 spend more time playing video games than girls in that age group.